Parents of GCSE 2025

[Mum2LazyBoy]

Is anyone up for a thread to follow the highs and lows of supporting our dc through the coming gcse season.
As user name suggests I have a DS who really isn’t getting his head down enough. He does tend to spend a lot of time gaming and school don’t seem to be setting much work.
Interested to hear how others are getting on.

Hi everyone, DS school were great and had revision sessions on over Easter, I honestly think if they didnt have this then he would have been a nightmare to motivate.

We have found that once he got over the initial 'I am NOT doing this' and got into a routine set by the school and us at home, he is now in the zone. We still have arguments and he wouldn't revise if we didn't get him to, but once he does he focusses.

He has Spanish speaking tomorrow morning so we have been hammering that this weekend, from what I can see he should be fine so fingers crossed.

He did however say that my sessions are far more fun than DHs unfortunately I cannot do science or comp science but if i can make his sessions fun then at least he is doing something! DH is working on the comp science and science subjects, he should still pass those.

We just want him to get 4s and 5s. He will be happy with that as that is all he needs for College. English is still a worry though as that's the only one he didn't pass in the mocks.

Good luck everyone

Best of luck to your DS for Spanish oral tomorrow... DD took her MFL ones last year so at least that is that done...
I get you with English ...the language one was the one DD failed at the mocks too.

My main worry is that she can't do an exam due to her anxiety as this happened 😕 for previous mocks...she is now back on CAHMS waiting list after 8 sessions. This week was quite stressful as she badly sprained her ankle on the way out from her (potential) 6th form...

Not long now - less than two weeks til our first exam. Too late for independent revision now (more or less, and he's so unwilling!), hoping the school and my DS excellent short term memory will push him over the line.

@VivaDixie @48wheaties best of luck with MFL speakings. If it’s AQA remind them to ask a question in the general convo, extend answers on the photo card but don’t waste time extending for the role play - as long as they cover what’s asked for ie number of details. If not AQA then I have alternative top tips! :)

@VivaDixie your DS and his school sound very similar although mine isn't doing a language. It is relentless, but the beginning of the end is in sight!

Thank you Dd has Spanish on Tuesday and the question in general conversation was the thing she forgot in her practice and got very confused so that has helped.
it is her least favourite subject

Thank you! It's Edexcel French foundation, so not too tricky (we hope!!)

Thank you @clary it is AQA. My friend is a head of MFL and gave him this advice tonight too. So it's appreciated.

Into the breach now everyone, solidarity to you all 🙌

The teacher/examiner should remind her (she still gets the marks for the question if they do that, as long as she does then ask a question obvs)

Ah no need to ask a question then but the candidate can prep a 1-minute speech so I hope they have done that. Sometimes candidates are not aware and it's a bit of a wasted opportunity to prep something good. With F tier they get more support on the questions for the photocard as well so should be good.

Good luck to everyone’s DC with MFL speaking! And hope your DD get back onto sessions with CAMHS @froggybiby

Thank you x

Hi, I just wondered how everyone is getting on? DS has still not really pulled his socks up, very little revision done this weekend other than something the school organised. I can see he is stressed but is then doing other stuff rather than revise. I've tried nagging, talking him through questions which is what he asked me to do but then when he doesn't know it he gets angry. Am dreading this week and It's going to be a nightmare run up to results day. Was wondering if anyone else is in a similar situation, I know there were a few of us a while back who's kids seemed similar.

My son has ASD, so we are very much in autistic overwhelm shutdown mode. No revision ..and I cannot even mention it. We'll just have to pray for a manageable chemistry paper so that he's not put off sitting the rest!

Similar @48wheatiesreally hoping the chemistry goes ok, he says he can't do it but rather than using today to brush up he's just sticking his head in the sand, so frustrating. Hope all goes well for your boy tomorrow as well x

Thank you @sausageupanalley See you on the other side!.x

Everyone is over here for the exam marathon: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/5334092-year-11-20242025-in-the-thick-of-it?page=4&reply=144264430

It’s been a rollercoaster. Exams that ASD/ADHD DD expected to be easy were hard and then maths, which she was dreading, was ok.

It’s chemistry today but she’s not nervous about it as she knows she has ‘no clue and won’t pass it‘. I’m proud of her that she’s going in and having a go. Revision has been non-existent. She has no idea what to do. She just goes into overwhelm. I’ve tried to help where I can but found it better to keep the pressure off. Any pushing just leads to meltdowns and shutdowns. Being supportive and letting her go at her own pace means she’s on an even keel for the exams she stands a chance at.

She needs 4 GCSEs to get onto the college course she wants to do. So the goal is those 4 GCSEs. Anything else is a bonus.

She’s not lazy. She’s not a slacker. She’s bright, funny and an all-round brilliant person. She’s struggled all the way through school and secondary school has been horrific for her. But she’s kept going and the end is in sight. It’s a wicked system that brands any child who isn’t a high-flying academic as a failure. I tell her that these exams don’t define her and she will get where she’s meant to be in life despite of them.

Good luck to everyone today. Especially those who find it so challenging.

Totally spot on. I have 2 dc going through this atm, so I know this too.

@OhCrumbsWhereNowthank you for the link but this thread is for those who find GCSEs challenging.

The other thread really isn’t good for my mental health which is pretty much shot to pieces at the moment by supporting my ASD/ADHD DD through this awful process.

There's at least 5 of us in that position on that one - mainly with ADHD & other SEN kids. It's not all parents with superstar kids chasing 9s.

Plenty celebrating getting them through the doors and sat at the desk, loads of us despairing about getting any revision done, and lots of us feeling that we no longer care about targets, a 4 will be wonderful.

Understand if you would prefer to avoid, but it's a very mixed group there.

I'm on the other thread now (under a different name!) and it's so much more supportive for everyone now that the exams have started. Less people juggling their international rugby career and all their 9s and more just people doing what they can to support the child they have

Lots of people struggling and even those doing well are still worried about getting their grades and doing revision.
It's worth a look.

Totally with you here.

I'm staying here too, I get that some kids put even more pressure on themselves to get a 9 but in our house we need DS to get over the line to get four 4s. I am really worried about his English - have you seen the format of the Lit exam tomorrow? It's brutal

I hadn’t seen this thread or the linked thread till now.

That linked one is not for me at all, you lot seem more my level so I’m posting here.

My son seems to be doing ok with the actual exams considering he has an avoidant approach to revision (and by that I mean the barest of minimums). It’s a kind of ‘this is too much, I’m just doing nothing’ approach and quite honestly, if I do anything other than love and kindness he gets stressed and it doesn’t result in any increase in work, and only results in an increase of cortisol so I have to just leave him to his own sweet way. It’s hard, but that’s how it has to be for us here.

So, I’m so relieved for him that whatever he was taught at the time has gone in enough and been remembered enough by him and he’s coming out of the exams feeling as though he’s done enough to do himself justice.

I haven’t heard from him yet to find out how today went but I gather from the other thread that it was a tough one so I hope my son is feeling ok.

I wanted to share this with you all by Hollie McNish because I think it’s great, and potentially useful for the Eng Lit exam later this week. I’ve sent it to my son but I’m not sure he’s watched it.

www.facebook.com/holliepoetry/videos/1914507442647292/?app=fbl

@MagicalMystical thank you for that link - i have just shown it to DS and whilst he laughs at me for finding random stuff on IG and FB he was grateful for those tips 😃

My son seems to be doing ok with the actual exams considering he has an avoidant approach to revision (and by that I mean the barest of minimums). It’s a kind of ‘this is too much, I’m just doing nothing’ approach

This is where we are at too - Welcome aboard! We are all in this together.

Incidentally DS did Chemistry Foundation this morning and is finding the Edexcel papers are so much more accessible and easier to navigate than the AQA. He is so far happy with paper 1 Biology and Chemistry. Fingers crossed he gets over the line and achieves a 4 or 5.